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December 24, 2023
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| Don't 'Paint Over' the Truths of Christmas |
| by Rob Schwarzwalder |
| The Australian pastor Adam Ramsey has written, "The meaning of Christmas goes miles deeper than family traditions, pretty lights, and a chance to refresh your depleted stockpile of socks." Christians know this, but do we take time to meditate on what Christmas does mean? If Christmas busyness is keeping us from taking a bit of time to quietly and calmly turn our hearts and minds to the fulness of Jesus, His life and redemption and promised return, then we're simply too busy. |
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| War at Christmas: Let Us Pray for Those Spending the Holiday amid Fear and Fighting |
| by Sarah Holliday |
| It's been over two months of utter chaos since the moment gunfire and screams began in Israel on October 7. On both sides, thousands of lives have been lost by vicious means. Families have been torn apart, homes destroyed to rubble, and nations threatened with elimination. And in the heat of the fighting are the families grieving their loved ones who are held hostage by the terrorists. With Christmas around the corner, I want to urge believers to take some time to think of and pray for the soldiers, civilians, and hostages who are spending the holidays unsure if they'll even see tomorrow. |
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| Let Christmas Remind Us that Peace and Unity Are Only Eternal in Christ |
| by Sarah Holliday |
| The Christmas truce of 1914 was a monumental moment of peace and unity in the middle of a catastrophic world war. But the peace and unity did not last. And to this day, we can see how moments of peace and unity here and there just don't last. Yet, we yearn for it so deeply. However, the problem is not that we yearn for these things. The problem is that we look for them almost exclusively through what is temporary. |
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| The Christmas Revival on the Early American Frontier |
| by Joshua Arnold |
| "The first remarkable season of the outpouring of the Spirit, which we enjoyed in this congregation, began about the middle of December, 1781," recalled Pastor John McMillan in a letter years afterward. "Many were pricked to the heart with deep convictions, and a goodly number, we hope, became the subjects of renewing grace." Thus began a revival among the first churches established on the American frontier, which was providentially timed to exert an inestimable influence on "the great Western field then opening with inviting promise to Eastern emigration," church historian Iain Murray wrote in "Revival & Revivalism." |
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| Christmas Is Not 'the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' for Everyone, But Christ Still Offers Peace |
| by Sarah Holliday |
| It's important to remember that not everyone has blissful memories of Christmas to recall. For some, Christmas never included the things that make it "oh so wonderful." For those who grew up in poverty, abandonment, or abusive homes, the holidays are just another reminder of the cruelty of life. While everyone else sings carols and delights in good company, they sit in darkness, pain, or grief. |
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| Expectantly Waiting for the 'Suddenly' Moments |
| by Abigail Olsson |
| When the Lord wants to teach you something, nothing will stand in His way. It is easier to recognize when He is speaking, though, when you expectantly wait on Him to move. Key word: expectantly. |
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| 'A Christmas Carol,' Conversion, and Christ |
| by Jacob Kersey |
| One of my favorite Christmas traditions is reading the ghostly novella "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Written in 1843, the 31-year-old wrote the holiday classic in a mere six weeks. This incredible work of literature has become one of the most popular Christmas stories of all time. What strikes me every time I read this story is the possibility of conversion, the hope of change. It might be tempting to dismiss the wonder of it all, since you know the end of the story. |
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| 'Every Nation Fails,' But Jesus Christ Offers a 'Better Government' |
| by Sarah Holliday |
| We live for work, friends, family, and all kinds of earthly ambitions. But to live for anything or anyone other than Christ is no different than living for any crumbling kingdom. But rather than just saying that and moving on, Bonner dissects four reasons why Christ offers a "better government." In his mind, Christ's kingdom is the only kingdom worth serving, and here's why. |
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| This Advent, Extend the Hope of the Faithful. Embrace Children Awaiting Adoption |
| by Herbie Newell |
| During Advent, we wait. We wait in the dark and the cold and the quiet for the birth of our Savior. But we don't wait in despair - we wait in hope. We wait as the Jewish people waited through 400 years of silence after the post-exilic prophets, before John the Baptist began preparing God's people for the coming of Christ. And we still wait, not for Jesus to come but for Him to come back. |
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